Madhav Bhat, Good Samaritan of Bhatkal no more

Media Release

February 22, 2018

Mangaluru, Feb 22: Madhav Bhat, owner of Hotel Srinivas Deluxe passed way on Tuesday, February 20, 2018. He was aged 61. He had been suffering from a malignant condition of the throat for many years and it is said to have worsened in the last few days. He was admitted to the ICU at Yenepoya Hospital in Mangalore on Monday and passed away at about 9:00 p.m. the next day.

His body was taken to his hometown Bhatkal the same night and funeral was performed the next morning. Madhav Bhat is survived by his wife Rajani and a son Aditya.

In recent years, Madhav Bhat had become famous on social media as a Good Samaritan who fed poor school kids with mid day meal at a nominal charge of only Rs. 5/-

Madhav Bhat had embraced this philanthropic mission more than 25 years back and long before government introduced free mid day meal scheme. Any school kid could walk into his hotel and have a rice and sambar mid day meal by paying just Rs. 5/- Over 1000 children availed this facility every day (except weekends).

After the state government introduced free mid day meal scheme in schools, the number dwindled to about 200. Due to steep increase in cost of ingredients, the price of the lunch has also been hiked to Rs. 10/-.

Many of the beneficiaries of Madhav Bhat’s kind act would often drop in to meet him long after they had grown up and found employment in different parts of the world.

Madhav Bhat hailed from a prominent family of priests of Shirali in Uttar Kannada District. His father Vedamurthy Srinivas Bhat was the Head Priest of Shri Mahaganapathy Mahamaya Temple, Shirali. Madhav Bhat was the youngest among seven sons and two daughters. He did his schooling in Canara High School (Main) and higher education at Canara College, Mangalore.

Alongside his hotel, Madhav Bhat also ran a Patanjali Arogya Kendra Outlet and was a corporate member of Patanjali Yogapeeta Trust, Haridwar. He was an active Rotarian and had served as the Club PRO of the Rotary Club of Bhatkal.

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Mangaluru NRI returning from Saudi Arabia arrested over Instagram post

News Network

December 15,2025

Mangaluru police have arrested a 27-year-old NRI on his return from Saudi Arabia in connection with an Instagram post allegedly containing derogatory and provocative remarks about the Hindu religion, officials said on Monday.

The accused, Abdul Khader Nehad, a resident of Ulaibettu in Mangaluru, was working in Saudi Arabia when the post was uploaded, police said.

A suo motu case was registered at the Bajpe police station on October 11 after an allegedly offensive post circulated from the Instagram account ‘team_sdpi_2025’. Police said the content was flagged for being provocative and derogatory in nature.

During the investigation, technical analysis traced the Instagram post to Nehad, who was residing abroad at the time, a senior police officer said. Based on these findings, a Look Out Circular (LOC) was issued against him.

On December 14, Nehad arrived from Saudi Arabia at Calicut International Airport in Kerala, where he was taken into custody on arrival. Police said further investigation is underway.

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Flight cancellations strand passengers overnight at Mangaluru Airport

News Network

December 4,2025

Mangaluru: Chaos erupted at Mangaluru International Airport (MIA) after IndiGo flight 6E 5150, bound for Mumbai, was repeatedly delayed and ultimately cancelled, leaving around 100 passengers stranded overnight. The incident highlights the ongoing country-wide operational disruptions affecting the airline, largely due to the implementation of new Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) norms for crew.

The flight was initially scheduled for 9:25 PM on Tuesday but was first postponed to 11:40 PM, then midnight, before being cancelled around 3:00 AM. Passengers expressed frustration over last-minute communication and the lack of clarity, with elderly and ailing travellers particularly affected. “Though the airline arranged food, there was no proper communication, leaving us confused,” said one family member.

An IndiGo executive at MIA cited the FDTL rules, designed to prevent pilot fatigue by limiting crew working hours, as the cause of the cancellation. While alternative arrangements, including hotel stays, were offered, about 100 passengers chose to remain at the airport, creating tension. A replacement flight was arranged but also faced delays due to the same constraints, finally departing for Mumbai around 1:45 PM on Wednesday. Passengers either flew, requested refunds, or postponed their travel.

The Mangaluru delay is part of a broader crisis for IndiGo. The airline has been forced to make “calibrated schedule adjustments”—a euphemism for widespread cancellations and delays—after stricter FDTL norms came into effect on November 1.

While an IndiGo spokesperson acknowledged unavoidable flight disruptions due to technology issues, operational requirements, and the updated crew rostering rules, the DGCA has intervened, summoning senior airline officials to explain the chaos and outline corrective measures.

The ripple effect has been felt across the country, with major hubs like Bengaluru and Mumbai reporting numerous cancellations. The Mangaluru incident underscores the systemic operational strain currently confronting India’s largest carrier, leaving passengers nationwide grappling with uncertainty and delays.

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